Hardeeville resident wants to help other soldiers

Jessicah Peters/Hardeeville Today Cedric Orange spent 20 years in the Army and decided to write a book, "Standing in the Shadows of War" about his childhood and his experiences in the Gulf War.

Cedric Orange/For Hardeeville Today Cedric Orange started painting/drawing as a coping mechanism after he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Cedric Orange/For Hardeeville Today Cedric Orange is a member of the Beaufort Art Association and takes art classes from two professional artists from Beaufort and Savannah.

Cedric Orange/For Hardeeville Today Painting has become a hobby for Cedric Orange since moving to Hardeeville. Orange says it is like an emotional release when he paints.

Cedric Orange wants to help other soldiers adjust to life after the military.

A 20-year Army veteran, his hope is to help other soldiers transition by sharing his war experiences with them.

Orange said he never expected to spend his career in the Army, serving in Korea, Germany and Saudi Arabia, let alone write a book about those experiences.

Through his time in the Army, Orange served in the Gulf War, which he said was a traumatic experience. When he retired in 1999, Orange left Fort Bliss and went to Bay Pines, Fla., to be treated for post-traumatic stress disorder.

The veteran’s hospital encouraged Orange to journal his thoughts and experiences he had while in the Army. His journals transformed into his ebook, “Standing in the Shadows of War.”

While his writing started as a coping mechanism for himself, Orange, 54, said he knew it could be a book that encourages other soldiers to write their stories.

“There was a lot of procrastination after I started writing the book in 2007,” Orange said. “But something about moving here inspired me to finish it.”

He finished the book in May. A Texas native, Orange moved to Hardeeville about three years ago. He said the Lowcountry atmosphere encouraged him to finish the manuscript.

The book starts with his childhood when he moved from Lufkin, Texas, to San Francisco, Calif., graduating from high school and making his decision to join the Army.

“I thought I’d only serve for about three to five years, but I adapted and made it a 20-year career,” Orange said. “This book is about my life, my struggle and my road to recovery. It’s about the personal war I faced to survive throughout my life to the present day.”

He chose to start the book with his early life since his therapist would always reflect on his childhood when discussing his war experiences and the impact those experienced had in causing PTSD.

“Cedric can be of a great help to those that are going through the a tough time and trying to get back into civilian life after having been in the military and disciplined all of those years,” Janice Rowe said.

Rowe knew Orange as a young child growing up in Texas since her son, Charlie Rowe, and Orange were friends. Rowe read Orange’s book because her son also served in the Gulf War.

“We all do not appreciate what all of our service people have done for us,” Rowe said. “Since I’ve had a son that has been there, I appreciate them more than the normal people. If the public reads Cedric’s book, maybe they would be able to grasp what life was like for him when he was young in a small east Texas town and in the military as a young teen.”

Since there is no cure to PTSD, Orange finds ways to cope and manage it through therapy, medication and being active. As a way to stay busy, he joined the Beaufort Art Association and takes two art classes from professional artists in Beaufort and Savannah.

Orange’s art is on display at the Beaufort County government building and he plans to have other work on display again at the Jepson Center for the Arts in Savannah by December.

“Painting is like an emotional release,” Orange said. “I enjoy painting realism and abstract. I never thought I could paint. I guess you could say I’m a late-bloomer artist.”